


His (Her) Name is Tom (Charlotte)

by SkyTintedWater



Category: Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV)
Genre: Bisexual Female Character, Character Study, Extended Scene, Ficlet, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-28
Updated: 2020-02-28
Packaged: 2021-02-26 13:45:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22938205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkyTintedWater/pseuds/SkyTintedWater
Summary: Rosa tells Jake her boyfriend’s name. She’s lying.Set during S03xEp09 'The Swedes'
Kudos: 6





	His (Her) Name is Tom (Charlotte)

Rosa leans against the bar as Jake offers to ‘drink in silence.’ She really does want to talk about things other than work. In particular she’d like to mention the fact that she’s bisexual and that her new girlfriend is called Charlotte.   
She starts by sighing, talking about how much the Swedes suck, and telling Jake that the two of them really are friends.   
Jake smiles at her with that open, boyish grin and she keeps talking, easing herself into revealing her secret by telling Jake her idea for his and Amy’s anniversary gift. He’s been talking about it for a week and today, while they were trapped in the back of a truck being driven by international diamond smugglers she’d come up with the perfect gift idea.   
‘The New York Public Library lets VIPs stay there overnight,’ she tells him and he nods.  
‘But wait, how do I become a library VIP? I forgot to return ‘Superfudge’ in the fourth grade and I’ve been scared to go back ever since.’  
‘I can hook you up.’ Rosa takes a deep breath and in that split second all her courage fails her and she falls back on the safer lie: ‘My new boyfriend works there.’  
The joy on Jake’s face makes her feel even worse — she hasn’t shared anything. But she _wants_ to, there’s still time to say ‘Actually, _her_ name is Charlotte. She’s a woman, I’m dating a woman and I’m bisexual.’   
Rosa spots a shot glass and downs it, hoping to drown out the fear inside her. Nope, nothing.  
But there’s a whole line of shots, and she’s going to drink them until she can tell Jake, until she can unburden herself of this secret.   
Two, three, four shots and she’s still not ready.  
‘I have to believe these belong to someone else,’ says Jake as she reaches for the fifth.   
‘It’s fine,’ she says, although it isn’t fine at all because she still can’t say it. No amount of alcohol can help her.   
‘His name is Tom,’ she says, nearly choking. Jake looks thrilled again and it’s like a dagger in her chest. Even worse, she can feel tears pricking at her eyes — and it isn’t just from the whiskey. She pulls out her phone, stares at the blank screen and then puts it back. ‘He just texted. I’m gonna go to his place and we’re gonna bone down. Rain check on the drink?’   
Jake opens his mouth and Rosa glares at him. ‘Dude, if you’re trying to come up with a “title of your sex tape” joke —’  
‘Damnit, how did you know?’   
She waves goodbye and leaves, hopping in a cab instead of on her bike. Her legs feel weak and she doesn’t trust herself right now.  
Rosa enters her apartment alone and sits on the couch in the dark, staring at nothing.

**Author's Note:**

> When I realised I was queer (in my late 20’s) it still took me years to come out to people. I have a vivid memory of knowing that I was queer but not knowing how to tell anyone when a friend turned and randomly asked me “You’re straight, right?” I stammered my way through a “yes” and then left, uncomfortable with the lie I’d told. On one of my (many) re-watches of B99 it struck me that Rosa might have felt the same during this scene.


End file.
